Time To Stop Paying Lameduck Members of Congress If They Stop Showing Up For Work

Yesterday, the auto company bailout bill passed the House by a margin of 237 to 170. One member voted "present" and 26 members didn't bother to vote. After checking the roll call vote, I noticed that more than half of 26 non-voting members were those who either lost their re-election bid, opted not to run, or left their job for a new one, in the case of Rahm Emanuel.

It's one thing when members miss votes due to time spent campaigning for re-election, or for another office. We don't like it, but most of us understand that it's hard to be on the campaign trail and in Washington at the same time, and those missed votes are, at least, somewhat germane to their job. I hate to give them a pass on this behavior, but at least there is an understandable excuse.

What is an outrage is when members simply stop showing-up for work after losing an election or announcing their retirement, yet happily continue to accept their $169,300 annual salary, nonetheless. That is simply an insult to the taxpayers, especially as Congress had to convene in lameduck session to deal with legislation to save the domestic auto industry. Yet, 14 of the 26 non-voting members are lameducks who seem less interested in saving anything except their fat paychecks.

Here are the 26 who didn't vote yesterday:

• Costa
• Cubin (did not run for re-election)
• Delahunt
• Doolittle (did not run for re-election)
• Ellison
• Emanuel (left to become White House COS)
• Everett (did not run for re-election)
• Gilchrest (lost GOP primary)
• Gordon
• Gutierrez
• Hastings (FL)
• Hooley (did not run for re-election)
• Johnson, E. B.
• Keller (lost re-election bid)
• Kuhl (NY) (lost re-election bid)
• Miller, Gary
• Peterson (PA) (did not run for re-election)
• Pryce (OH) (lost re-election bid)
• Renzi (did not run for re-election)
• Rohrabacher
• Sensenbrenner
• Snyder
• Tancredo (did not run for re-election)
• Walberg (lost re-election bid)
• Watson
• Weldon (FL) (did not run for re-election)

Isn't it long past time that we demand that lameduck members, who refuse to show-up for votes, lose their six-figure salary?

I do...

Mark Nickolas is the Managing Editor of Political Base, and this story was from his original post, "Time To Stop Paying Lameduck Members of Congress If They Stop Showing-Up For Work"

Follow Mark Nickolas on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mnickolas

Comments

[firstcrasscitizen]

12:42 PM on 12/12/2008

All this must Government misconduct is making me dizzy. Thanks for the vertigo.

[sean6886]

10:45 AM on 12/12/2008

Maybe they should be explaining to us why they need bailed out!

[tlgeiger62]

06:27 AM on 12/12/2008

Even before I read the body of this piece...I agree. We need to stop paying the Bush Administra­tion PERIOD.

[avantgardener]

06:13 AM on 12/12/2008

Why do we pay Congresspe­ople at all? Why don't THEY go on a $1 per year salary? They don't need it, they get enough money from lobbyists and private industry!

[magnetplanner]

11:33 PM on 12/11/2008

Forget the paychecks. That's small potatoes. Start reducing their pensions. These bums get 80% of their final salary after only five years of service.

[Jp2]

12:25 AM on 12/12/2008

Not only that but they get COLA on their pensions.O­ver one third of congress retirees are making more on their pensions than their saleries the last year they worked.TRU­E FACTS!!!!!

[Jp2]

09:47 PM on 12/11/2008

It's time to strip congress of all their legacy cost (healthcar­e,pensions­) as they seem hellbent on stripping the autoworker­s of their benifits.A­uto companies are only a few billion in debt.While federal government is 10 trillion in debt.They have the audacity to berated the auto companies of bad management­.They are a joke!!!!!!­!!!!!

[dwillisno1]

07:58 PM on 12/11/2008

Time honored practice when people get fired or quit, they use up all their "sick leave"

[Mnemanth]

06:37 PM on 12/11/2008

I don't show up for work, I'll be fired. I show up for work, but push my load off on someone else, abdicating my responsibi­lities, I'll also be fired. I show up for work apathetic, irresponsi­ble, and cranky, I'll once again be fired.
So, what's with our elected representa­tives? Why have we got to wait around for years for the chance to oust them? Why are they collecting a pay check for no productivi­ty?
Oh, the time for a clear message from We, The People, is clearly in order.

[Grunty1]

11:43 AM on 12/12/2008

[I don't show up for work, I'll be fired]

Most of these people were already given their 3 month notice.

[jfor]

06:00 PM on 12/11/2008

A better plan would not allow Congress to give themselves a raise when the nation is in a recession. hahahahaha­ahahahaaha­hhhahahaha­..

[BLinCincinnati]

08:02 AM on 12/12/2008

No raise when the budget is in deficit.

[Grunty1]

11:44 AM on 12/12/2008

I like that idea!

[democrattotheend]

05:57 PM on 12/11/2008

On the flip side, if they resign and stop taking a paycheck like Obama did, look what can happen.

[mommadona]

12:45 PM on 12/11/2008

Here's a plan:

TIME TO MAKE ALL US POLITICAL ELECTION CAMPAIGNS ONLY 6 MONTHS LONG.

THEY CAN START 'RUNNING'/­IE/FUNDRAI­SING - EXACTLY 180 WORKING DAYS BEFORE NOVEMBER 4TH.

There. THAT would clear up a bunch of scandal problems.